Consumer Protection
CFPB Takes Step Towards Creating Database of Corporate Crime
Citizen Works has long advocated for a corporate crime database as part of our ongoing efforts to reduce corporate abuse and ensure transparency for consumers. On June 3rd, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule that takes a step towards that goal. The new rule creates a publicly available registry that tracks enforcement…
Read MoreAutomakers Reckless Use of Drivers’ Data Comes Under Spotlight
As cars become more technologically complex, they are increasingly able to gather information on drivers and their habits. Some metrics are what drivers are used to and often appreciate—such as fuel efficiency. But newer vehicles can also collect detailed data on how drivers behave—such as instances of rapid acceleration and braking or even location data.…
Read MoreAmtrak’s Anti-Consumer Forced Arbitration Clause Persist Despite Efforts of Public Citizen, Congress
Despite repeated efforts, Amtrak continues to require passengers to agree to an arbitration process to resolve claims against the rail service. Amtrak added the Arbitration Agreement to the terms and conditions of its passenger tickets in 2019. The terms of the agreement state that it is “intended to be as broad as legally permissible, and,…
Read MoreAdobe Faces Backlash For Changing its Terms of Service
Adobe, the corporation that makes widely used creative software like Photoshop, unveiled earlier this year an update to the fine print of its Terms of Service that angered many creators who rely on their platform. The added language was vague and expansive but appeared to indicate that Adobe had granted itself permission to access any…
Read MoreSupreme Court Rules Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Can Be Fired by President
In June 2020, the Supreme Court released its opinion in the case of Seila Law vs. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which questioned whether the leadership structure of the CFPB was constitutional. In a 5-4 decision along ideological lines, the Court—in an opinion authored by Chief Justice Roberts—ruled that the restrictions placed on the President’s…
Read MoreSupreme Court Rules CFPB Funding Structure is Constitutional
On May 16, 2024, the Supreme Court released its decision in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau vs. Community Financial Services Association of America, a case that questioned the constitutionality of the funding structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). In a 7-2 decision, the Court—in an opinion authored by Justice Clarence Thomas—roundly rejected CFSAA’s arguments…
Read MoreResources for the COVID-19 Response
In the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19, the Federal Government passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), a massive stimulus package, along with three other stimulus bills. Because of the speed at which these laws were passed, many of the details surrounding implementation require additional guidance from agencies. Here are…
Read MoreSupreme Court to Decide the Constitutionality of the CFPB
On March 3, 2020, the Supreme Court will hear Seila Law, LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, to determine whether the structure of the CFPB is constitutional. How the Court answers the question could have far-reaching impact, not only in determining how the CFPB operates in the future, but also in potentially invalidating past CFPB…
Read MoreA Student Debt Crisis is Imminent, But Loan Companies and the Trump Administration are Not Likely to Provide Solutions
By all accounts the country faces a looming student debt crisis. Debts from student loans currently amount to $1.4 trillion, a number that has grown exponentially over the last decade as more and more students take on debt only to face a demanding labor market. Default rates are also on the rise—recent data from the…
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